Geneva vs. Madison football: Eagles soar to league title via an aerial assault against Blue Streaks
Oct. 12—A loud horn pierced through the air when the Madison football team ran onto the field for an Oct. 12 game against Geneva.
The horn is supposed to emulate that of a steam-engine train coming through.
In hindsight, perhaps it was to give warning for an air raid no one knew was coming.
The visiting Eagles threw only six passes in the game, but four of them went for touchdowns. The unexpected aerial attack led Geneva to a 42-21 win over Madison that not only clinched a CVC Lake Division title for the Eagles, but also locked up a home playoff game in the first round of the Division III, Region 9 playoffs.
Coach Don Shymske and the @GHSeaglesfb are fired up after a big win at @MadFootball212 tonight. pic.twitter.com/AbJ6brIFHU
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
"People don't expect us to pass," Coach Don Shymske said. "It's like like we CAN'T. We just like to leave it lying in wait. A couple of those passes probably caught those guys (i.e. Madison) by surprise. Hats off to Kenny Young and the receivers."
Touchdown Geneva, 62-yard screen from Kenny young to Luke Smith, conversion pass good. With 6:32 n the half Geneva 14 Madison 7. pic.twitter.com/ypF8mf6Z4B
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 12, 2023
Young completed all five of his passes for 142 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Luke Smith got into the passing act, too, completing a 55-yard scoring pass to Giavonni Rice in the third quarter.
Touchdown @GHSeaglesfb . Kenny Young to Giavonni Rice 55 yards. With 58 seconds n the half Geneva leads @MadFootball212 21-7. pic.twitter.com/J4XAiPkVmN
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 12, 2023
In all, Geneva was 6-for-6 passing for 197 yards and four touchdowns. Couple that with a 322-yard rushing night — that's usually what Geneva hangs its hat on — and it made for a 519-yard night for the Eagles' offense. It was too much for the host Blue Streaks to deal with.
Touchdown @GHSeaglesfb . Luke Smith 55 halfback pass to Giavonni Rice. With 2:38 in the third Geneva 35 @MadFootball212 7. pic.twitter.com/grBpE5k4Mb
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
"When you predicate your game plan on stopping the run and you don't stop the run so effectively, it opens up the pass," Madison coach Mike Gilligan said. "If you don't stop the running game, they're going to hit you with a big play.
"I knew going in Kenny could throw the ball and they have good receivers. the three games before this, they didn't have to throw the football. But they saw we loaded the box and they figured they could take some shots. They capitalized on them."
After Madison took a 7-0 lead on a seven-yard touchdown pass by Carson Alley, Hayden Diemer got Geneva on the board with a 30-yard touchdown run. With Madison loading up to stop the run, Young hit Smith on a 62-yard screen pass that went to the house for a 14-7 lead. Then Young found Rice on a 45-yard pattern for a 21-7 halftime lead.
Young said the run game early set up the passing game's success.
"One-hundred percent," he said. "Once we started to pass the ball, we got more confidence."
Touchdown @GHSeaglesfb . Bryce Peet 5 run. With 5:04 in the third Geneva leads @MadFootball212 28-7... that's 28 unanswered points. pic.twitter.com/uAWGzokv6M
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
Geneva took a 28-7 lead in the third on a five-yard run by Bryce Peet, part of his 16-carry, 119-yard night on the ground. Then, with Madison again gearing up to stop the run, Smith took a pitch and pulled up to hit Rice for an uncontested 55-yard scoring strike for a 35-7 lead.
"I'm 3-for-3 on the year with three touchdown passes," Smith said. "My quarterback stats are crazy this year."
Kenny young and Luke Smith discus @GHSeaglesfb 42-21 win over @MadFootball212 tonight. pic.twitter.com/eE7JWN6bYU
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
Madison cut the lead to 35-14 when Alley hit Ryan Radkowski for a 10-yard strike late in the third. But Geneva got that score back when Young hit Logan Queen on a 10-yard pop pass for the fourth touchdown pass of the night — a stat that left Shymske wondering the last time Geneva had four touchdown passes in a game.
"I don't know," Shymske said. "I'm an unofficial football historian. I've been around a long time, but I don't know. It's been a while. Maybe it's the first time ever."
Alley led Madison with 54 passing yards and two touchdowns, as well as 29 rushing yards and a late 10-yard TD run. Alexander Davis had 71 yards rushing for Madison, which lost James Poe to a groin injury in the first quarter. He did not return.
Coach Mike Gilligan of @MadFootball212 credits big plays for @GHSeaglesfb as a big reason for a 42-21 loss tonight, pic.twitter.com/jik1BGMAtB
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
"The goal now is to beat Conneaut and hopefully we can go on to Week 11," said Gilligan, whose Blue Streaks are now 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the CVC Lake.
Geneva (8-1, 4-0) hosts winless Jefferson in Week 10 before dialing in on what the Eagles hope is a long stay in the Division III, Region 9 playoffs. They will do so after clinching the program's first league title in 15 years.
"Hats off to our guys," Shymske said. "They knew we had high expectations this year and teams were going to circle us on the schedule. They rose to every occasion. They've done an excellent job all year."
Coach Don Shymske of @GHSeaglesfb is proud of his team's win over @MadFootball212 that cliches a CVC Lake Division title, pic.twitter.com/3kl0uPExKg
— News-Herald preps (@NHPreps) October 13, 2023
PHOTOS: Madison vs. Geneva football, Oct. 12, 2023
